Who We Are:

UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization (MMA), with more than 700 million fans and approximately 300 million social media followers. The organization produces more than 40 live events annually in some of the most prestigious arenas around the world while broadcasting to over 950 million households across more than 170 countries. UFC’s athlete roster features the world’s best MMA athletes representing more than 80 countries. The organization’s digital offerings include UFC FIGHT PASS®, one of the world’s leading streaming services for combat sports. UFC is part of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO) and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada. For more information, visit UFC.com and follow UFC at Facebook.com/UFC and @UFC on X, Snapchat, Instagram, and TikTok: @UFC. TKO Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: TKO) is a premium sports and entertainment company. TKO owns iconic properties including UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization; WWE, the global leader in sports entertainment; and PBR, the world’s premier bull riding organization. Together, these properties reach 1 billion households across 210 countries and territories and organize more than 500 live events year-round, attracting more than three million fans. TKO also services and partners with major sports rights holders through IMG, an industry-leading global sports marketing agency; and On Location, a global leader in premium experiential hospitality.

The Role and What You’ll Do:

The UFC Performance Institute (UFCPI) is the world’s first Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) multi-disciplinary research, innovation, and training center, and is globally recognized for the performance infrastructures it provides to UFC and UFC Academy athletes. With world-class facilities in Las Vegas, Shanghai, and Mexico City, the mission of the UFCPI is to promote performance-enhancement through the delivery of world-class coaching, science, and medical services to the world’s best MMA and combat athletes. The core values of the UFCPI are aligned with maximizing the health and wellbeing of UFC athletes and to support fighters and coaches in optimizing their training, preparation, and ultimately performances inside the octagon.

The successful candidate will join a world-class interdisciplinary team of service providers with a proven track record of delivering world-leading support services to MMA and other professional athletes. The role will be integral in leading the operational activities needed for the delivery of core services to UFC athletes at a world-class level, as well as wider business-related initiatives on a global scale.

The Vice President, Operations will have primary responsibility for the strategic leadership of the UFCPI’s global business operations. This role will oversee the operating model, business processes, facility operations, vendor strategy, and cross-functional ecosystems that are required to support a world-class high-performance environment across multiple locations. Working in close partnership with the Senior Vice President, this position serves as the principal operational leader for the UFCPI and the senior point of coordination for the Institute’s global business and support functions.

This role will integrate with performance leadership and key stakeholders across UFC to ensure the UFCPI operations scale effectively, support athlete and coach experience, enable measurable business and performance outcomes, and align with the organization’s long-term global growth strategy. The role requires a leader who can operate at both strategic and executional levels, building operational excellence across existing facilities while laying the foundation for future growth and expansion.

• Provide leadership, oversight, and direction to the UFCPI’s global operations (including facilities in Las Vegas, Shanghai, Mexico City, and future growth markets.)
• Serve as the principal operational partner to the Senior Vice President, coordinating execution across UFCPI’s business, facility, and support functions and ensuring alignment of the Institute’s global operating priorities.
• Advance the global operations strategy for UFCPI, aligning business operations with organizational priorities, athlete service expectations, and long-term expansion plans.
• Ensure consistent standards and efficient execution of day-to-day business operations across all UFCPI locations.
• Establish and optimize scalable operating models on both global and local levels through impactful governance frameworks, policies, and standard operating procedures that support global consistency while allowing for local market execution.
• Partner with performance, medical, science, commercial, finance, legal, facilities, and other internal stakeholders to ensure operational alignment across all UFCPI activities.
• Direct global operations staff, maintenance planning, space utilization, and infrastructure readiness in collaboration with internal facilities and external service providers.
• Oversee third-party consultants, vendors, and strategic partners, including selection, negotiation support, performance management, and ongoing relationship development.
• Lead operational planning and execution, facility flow, service access, and related support systems that facilitate high-quality program delivery.
• Build, lead, and develop an operations team that includes front-of-house, facility, logistics, administrative, and site operations personnel.
• In alignment with the SVP, UFC Performance Institute, establish and monitor operational KPIs, utilization targets, service metrics, and reporting mechanisms that drive performance, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Identify and implement opportunities that improve operational efficiency, service quality, risk management, and cost effectiveness across the global UFCPI network.
• Serve as a senior representative of UFCPI with athletes, coaches, gyms, vendors, partners, and other external stakeholders to strengthen engagement, trust, and service utilization.
• Support business planning for new initiatives, geographic expansion, and evolving service offerings, including readiness planning, process design, and operational integration.
• Partner with UFCPI leadership to manage budgets, forecasting inputs, inventory controls, and resource planning associated with UFCPI operations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable health, safety, conduct, and operational standards across all UFCPI environments.
• Champion a culture of operational excellence, innovation, collaboration, accountability, and service that reflects the standards of a world-class global performance organization.
• Perform other duties, projects, and strategic initiatives as assigned by executive leadership.

You Have These:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, operations, sports management, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in business operations, facility management, operational leadership, or related functions, including significant experience in complex, fast-paced, high-performance environments.
• Demonstrated success leading multi-site, cross-functional, or global operations.
• Proven ability to translate strategic priorities into scalable operational plans and measurable business outcomes.
• Experience leading teams across operations, facilities, client services, logistics, or related business functions.
• Strong executive presence and ability to influence across senior leadership, internal partners, and external stakeholders.
• Experience managing budgets, operational planning, vendor relationships, and service delivery models.
• Demonstrated success building systems, processes, and teams that improve efficiency, consistency, and customer experience.
• Experience supporting interdisciplinary or high-performance service environments is preferred.
• Sports, performance, hospitality, events, healthcare, or related industry experience preferred.
• Familiarity with MMA, elite sport, athlete services, or performance environments is preferred, but not required.
• Experience supporting international operations, expansion, or cross-border stakeholder management strongly preferred.
• Awareness and proven ability to effectively collaborate with interdisciplinary staff with technical expertise in a variety of performance domains.

TKO EEO Statement:

TKO is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding non-discrimination in employment. TKO makes employment decisions based on merit and qualifications, without considering an employee’s or applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other basis prohibited under federal, state or local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the Company has facilities. TKO also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state or local laws. For information about Privacy and Information Security for TKO employment candidates, please review our Privacy Policy. For information regarding Terms of Use for this and other TKO websites, please review our Terms of Use.